Stuck in the Mud

* The glass-enclosed waiting area at my bus stop has been inexplicably torn down and replaced with the above tar pit.

* The Vanpool appears full. However, everyone insists I can fit in the back seat which allegedly seats four people. I can now assure you it doesn't -- I spent the entire ride with an Indian man's elbow stuck in my ribcage.

* Traffic's exceptionally bad today because there are a bunch of dignitaries going to the United Nations. This causes some dissent on The Vanpool.

"I might as well take the bus," says the man who watches creepy things on his fancy rich person phone.

* Charlie dubiously cuts off another vehicle and we come perilously close to an accident. Norm shakes his head.

"This is why sometimes I take the bus," he says. "Charlie's such a bad driver."

Norm says that the only reason he takes Charlie is because of the valuable savings.

I ask him how he decides the day to ride the van.

"Pure instinct," he says.

* We get our newspapers at the corner. The girl who looks like Precious is there and takes a step back to the curb when we pull up.

"We'd never run her over," says John Krazinski's Uncle.

* We're driving through an exceptionally busy Midtown. Someone attempts to jaywalk in front of us. Charlie doesn't let him. The man then shakes his fist at us like he's a supervillain swearing revenge.